Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.C 1TB vs. WD Caviar Blue 1TB

Despite being 7200 RPM models, both Deskstar and Caviar Blue samples were very quiet when idle, rivaling the noise level of "green" drives from Western Digital and Samsung. The Caviar Blue measured 14 dBA@1m, while the Deskstar produced only 13 dBA@1m. Up close, the Western Digital drive sounded a little more 'hollow' than the Hitachi. Inside a case with a side panel of reasonable thickness, both drives should be near inaudible at one meter's distance, at least when they're idle.

The Deskstar and Caviar Blue 1TB when seeking.

When seeking the Deskstar is quieter once again, but the difference is much greater. The WD measured 20 dBA@1m to the Hitachi's 17 dBA@1m. The Caviar Blue had more pronounced seeks, sounding like little thumps while the Deskstar's seeks produced scratching type noises. Using AAM, we managed to lower the Caviar Blue's noise output by 3~4 dB when seeking, but only got a 1~2 dB improvement out of the Hitachi.

The Deskstar used very little power when idle but a surprisingly high amount when seeking, almost 10W. The Caviar Blue was more average in this regard. While the Hitachi was the quieter drive, the level of vibration was much stronger than that of the Caviar Blue, even surpassing the 2TB Caviar Black. Properly suspended, the Deskstar would be acoustically superior, but if hard-mounted, it would probably cause a more noise.